Customer Reviews

Time And Chance

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Time and Chance. The title alone fills the mind with excitement and wonder. Brennert's idea is captivating, unusual, and makes you think. It makes you wonder What if I did one thing, and not the other? What if I chose one but later in life I can go back and change my decision? You go through life and you wonder what would happen if you left a minute earlier- Would you have been involved in that accident? This novel gives you that sense of uneasiness that is so great. The character "Richard" is the perfect person to work this rounabout with...

After reading Moloka'i and Honolulu by Alan Brennert, I wanted to see if he had any other books available. Imagine my pleasure at finding two of his earlier works, Kindred Spirits and Time and Chance. Both Kindred Spirits and Time and Chance are very different from his latest books Moloka'i and Honolulu. While Moloka'i and Honolulu each give us pieces of history of real locations in an entertaining (and educational) read, Kindred Spirits and Time and Chance take us out of the 'real' world and transport us into places not yet proven by science.

Time and Chance is a fun read while provoking thoughts of wonder. Alan Brennert pulls you into the plot with glimpses of what's to come. Then, when we are aware of what's happening, Time and Chance is a page turner to see what's coming next. I could hardly wait to see how it would end, while at the same time not wanting the enjoyment of reading it to be over.
Time and Chance spoke to me, causing me to examine my life and wanting to live it more fully and happily. We are the choices that we make and we can always choose something new and different. This book gave me insight into the endless possibilities that are always available. I laughed and I cried while enjoying this read into contemplation.

I always loved the Twilight Zone because of the impossible places it could take my imagination. Turns out Alan Brennert, who wrote for the new TZ, has that gift of taking us beyond our expectations and spinning a mind-bending, entertaining and thought-provoking yarn.

I was fascinated by the premise of Time and Chance, where the main character, Richard, is given the chance to switch lives with himself in a reality he has already created by having taken a different turn in time, which happens to be equally miserable to the life he's already living.

Brennert stirringly and skillfully tells the stories of parallel universes; I couldn't imagine how Richard and Rick could pull off the switch believably, much less how they would resolve the disasters/transformations they were creating in each other's lives. I found myself compellingly engaged and unexpectedly moved by the masterful unfolding of this tale of redemption and hard-earned wisdom; the destructive power of guilt vs the healing power of true love, courage and self-forgiveness. There is humor and truth in his telling.

I highly recommend this brilliant and original page-turner which I, too, think would make a great film. I also highly recommend Alan Brennert's most recent and beautifully written historical novels, Moloka'i and Honolulu. I look forward to reading more of his works!

I really loved Brennert's two earlier books, Moloka'i and Honululu. He is one of those special writers who can write about the opposite sex with great beauty and insight. I highly recommend those two books if you like historical fiction. After reading them both within just a few weeks of each other, I noticed that this book was released soon afterward and I was so excited. Unfortunately,I was very disappointed. Others have posted the synopsis, so I won't. I liked the original idea of "what if?" but to be honest, as I read the alternating chapters between Rick and Richard, I went from "what if?" to "who cares?" Neither of the life paths described were interesting. I admit I skipped quickly through the second half of the book, and maybe that was one of the messages of the book--that the life you think you missed, may have not been a loss afterall. But, while Moloka'i and Honolulu were filled with just a few well threshed-out characters through the long lives of each respective protagonist, this book has too many characters that just aren't interesting, many are nothing more than names, and too many are stereotypes. The book reads like a first novel in which the writer does one of the first things aspiring writers are taught not to do--don't tell, show. There's just a lot of "telling" in this book. Sorry about this one, but if the author writes more historical fiction, I'll sign up for that.

Excellent parallel universe novel that delves into "if only" terrain. A unique take on family vs. career choices. Full of pithy insights. Most enjoyable.

Thirteen years ago Richard Cochrane left New Hampshire seeking fame and fortune as an actor. Now as the last performance of a three month Broadway run of Brigadoon ends, he knows he has come a long way until a voice no one else hears interrupts his performance. He blows his lines. Later the despondent performer learns his mother died. Depressed over her death and his terrible acting, Richard returns home to a lonely existence in New Hampshire.

Thirteen years ago in New Hampshire Rick Cochrane dreams of Broadway, but instead marries the woman he loves. The couple raises a family, but over the years he resents his sacrifice.

As each Cochrane looks at their respective unhappy and unfulfilling life, a switch occurs. Richard the actor occupies the body of Rick the insurance man; while Rick resides in the body of Richard. Both approaches the change with euphoria as they each has a second chance to travel the other path they once rejected.

With nod to Freaky Friday inside the Twilight Zone, Alan Brennert provides a fabulous character driven fantasy that looks deep at choices and their aftermath to the chooser and his or her degrees of connection and separation. Both of the male Cochranes are unhappy with their respective lives so they welcome the switch. The support cast in New Hampshire and Manhattan enhance a thought provoking whimsical tale with deep metaphors starting with Brigadoon.

Harriet Klausner